Inattention causes Accidents

This report is causing me physical pain as well as mental anguish, having just skidded off my bike on an icy road, while thinking about what I was going to write.

Psychologically, too, I feel I have been involved in an avoidable accident, one that we have brought on ourselves. And I was so looking forward to this match because it was one of the few occasions when one could follow the Wolves without suffering from feelings of anxiety and foreboding.

Unfortunately, this will not be an in-depth analysis of the game ... but, then, I`m sure that`s not why you read my column. I am forced to write this report blindfolded because not only were no freeview sites screening the match but Football First had gone on holiday. All I saw - and only after wading through numerous dreary lower division goals; reruns of the punch which floored the Stevenage player (the best strike of the lot); and repeats of the snatched interview with Dalgleish at the airport - were George`s 'foul` and the bare showing of the goals.

And it had all started so promisingly. Having bought an afternoon of uninterrupted viewing by raking up and binning the leaves in the back garden, I sat down to enjoy the match, if only in the company of Robbie Dennison on Beacon Radio. I even survived a scare when my wife and elder daughter, down from Glasgow, asked me if I wanted to go into town with them to look for fabrics. Hmm! Difficult choice.

Wolves started brightly, though Doncaster posed a constant threat, given that our central defenders were having another of those days off. However, I thought that Milijas`s magnificent goal (it will join the one he scored last season on my CD file) would kill off the Championship League upstarts (umm, let`s not sneer too much). On the contrary, we gifted them two goals in five minutes of madness.

Although we did equalize with a well-taken penalty by Hunt (I remember the relish, with which he scored one against us last season), we could not kill off the game in spite of our dominance. Then, Elokobi`s ridiculous dismissal altered the dynamics of the game. So, when the match ended I could not shake off the feeling that we had lost. I mean really lost not just failing to win and therefore earning a second chance. Apart from adding to an already congested fixture list, we will lose Edwards through injury and Elokobi through suspension.

And we face Manchester City next Saturday. While Jones can replace Edwards (if he is still at WWFC), who can step in for George? We all know who it will be but the thought of Johnson bearing down on him time after time fills me with dread. Quick, empty the piggy bank and buy a left back. It`s not as though we have a reliable pair of centre backs either. They played magnificently against Chelsea but, according to Dennison, they were back to their fumbling worst yesterday.

But, isn`t this MM`s plan: win a game and not win the next one, which in itself is a subtle but important improvement on the original ploy of one win for the price of two. If rigidly adhered to, we will survive with ease, perhaps even find ourselves in contention for a UEFA place! Hey, I should feel buoyant not gloomy.

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That's the spirit Banksy!
I couldn't find the game anywhere either so neither of us can write this match report- due to licensing restrictions, or whatever they call it, I was left to stare at the screen on Sky Sports as it plodded half a sentence every four minutes or so, so after seeing the score and rummaging the bins of various sites, I gave up and waited for a summary from my Dad. It was a cup game, blah blah- a replay is the last thing we needed and, as you underlined, we have lost, by manner of different circumstances, Edwards and George, and considering our fixture line up we have no choice but to play the kids and most likely lose. Let it be done with. This season has an eerie nature about it, reminding me of our 15 year abyss in the 2nd Division/Championship - always rising to the occasion against the big teams, and losing on miserable Tuesday nights at the likes of, I dunno, take your pick. The big wins, City, Liverpool, Chelsea are what have kept us in it, because we have been poor against those supposedly as good/bad as us and considering we have them all to play again more or less, it is in our own hands, based upon our application as to whether we prove the masters of our own downfall or step up to the plate, stop playing David & Goliath, and take care of everyday needs, as in beating **** teams. Aside from United, City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Bolton and Sunderland I don't think we are any better or worse than the rest and whilst that provides me with some level of comfort, it is hardly a great advertisement for the Premier League. It can only get better next year, and whilst it pains my guts to say it I would actually accept 17th if someone were to offer it today. The implications are relegation are barely worth thinking about- the stadium plan would be torn up, the best players we have nurtured - the likes of Jarvis, will go, Doyle, Hunt, Fletcher and so on will get to join another Premiership relegation battle whether we like it or not, and the rest, the likes of Hennessey, Blake (there are several others) will be on inflated wages following the turn out of four and five year improved deals as reward for steering us to promotion/keeping us up. It will fall apart at the seams. Crikey. I need a can. I've just posted an optimistic article saying we are staying up! Must read it at once. Nurse, nurse, where did I leave that scrap of paper........... it was next to my crayons..... it was ... give it back you.... (Readers are advised to complete the last sentence themselves in compliance with avoiding expletive derogatory remarks.)

Gosh, NYCW, you are feeling the pain as much as I am. Even so, I detected a glimmer of positivity in your critique. If we can squeeze out a point or two in the next few games, survival will be in our hands. If we can only reproduce the same high tempo play that saw us beat Liverpool and Chelsea, we will stuff the teams around us. We have shown we can do it so why don't we turn it on when it really matters? For all the glamour I would rather lose against Chelsea and Liverpool if it meant that we won against Wigan and WHU. In reality, the latter games are worth double the points.

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